The disposable hygienic articles are articles used to absorb and contain bodily exudates, among them there are disposable diapers and underwear for infants, disposable diapers, panties and towels for adults, feminine pads, pantiliners, etc.
Traditionally, these items are packaged in flexible, usually polyethylene packaging, containing several articles placed one next to the other in compressed form in order to optimize the packaging and the shelf space. Said packagings usually have an “easy-opening” system consisting in one or several weakening lines whereby the packaging can be easily opened to get the product out. This kind of products are used one at a time, i.e., one is taken out and while it is used, the rest of the articles remain inside the bag. The approximate time of use of each of the articles ranges from 3 to 12 hours (when are used by night); in this way, if the packaging contains 10 articles, once this was opened to get the first article out, the rest of the articles may remain within the opened package for more than 3 days. This, in the best of the cases, as there are packagings that contain up to 100 or more pieces, implying that the last article will be used from 20 to 30 days after the package was opened, being exposed to pollution by dust, bugs, etc. Thus, it is very convenient to pack this type of articles in flexible packaging having the possibility that, once opened, they may be closed again such that the articles are protected from pollution, dust, etc.
Some attempts have been made to achieve this objective; such is the case of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,687 of Kimberly Clark, which describes a flexible bag which, through the top front or rear portion, is fitted with a strap attached by the side seals. This strap is used in order to close the bag once it was opened, which is inserted into a hole placed above the strap by the front and rear portions of the bag, such that, besides closing the bag, the strap forms a handle for the transportation thereof. While the bag may be opened and sealed as many times as necessary by this strap, same does not provide a tight closing that prevents pollution from entering into the bag, besides the fact that the use of this type of closing is complex for a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,706, also of Kimberly Clark, describes a bag for the packaging of absorbent disposable articles which, in its top portion, has a fin that extends from one of the front or rear faces of the bag, this fin is bent towards the opposing face for closing the bag; the fin further has adhesive that helps the fin to adhere to this opposing face so the bag may remain closed. The adhesive has suitable characteristics in such a way that it allows for the bag to be opened and closed as required, however, this system does not provide a tight closing, besides the adhesive can easily become polluted and hinder the good operation of the bag; furthermore, when the adhesive becomes polluted, it ceases to have its closing properties.
On the other hand, Mexican patents MX 195354, MX 230104 and MX 257432, all to Grupo P. I. Mabe, describe a bag with a tab or closing tab, in such a way that once the disposable absorbent articles are introduced into the bag, the tab is turned so as to close same. The bag may be opened and closed through the tab as many times as needed. Similarly to the previous packagings, this closing tab does not provide means for tightly closing the bag, in such a way to avoid any kind of pollution.
There exist a myriad of proposals of resealable bags, mainly containing a closing system commercially known as “zip lock” which consists of two elements that are attached separately to each of the opposing faces of a bag and placed facing each other, usually at the top of the bag; these elements are coupled with a male-female type system closing the bag tightly. On the other hand, the use of a system with hooks and loops (commercially known as “velcro” type, a registered trademark of Velcro Industries) is also known in the market for bags of flexible materials, such that they may be opened and closed when necessary.
Examples of these systems a described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,955,981, 5,026,563, 5,024,537, 5,063,069, 5,172,980, 7,585,111, which are mainly addressed to food packaging packaging and describe different forms of placing this kind of systems.
The use of this type of systems for packaging disposable absorbent articles is not described in any case, this, considering the difficulty represented by the fact that the packaging for these items requires side or top and bottom bellows to achieve the suitable accommodation of the articles inside the bag; that are articles manufactured in high speed production lines (up to 700 articles/minute) and that it is very convenient for the packaging to have a handle for the transportation thereof.
The present invention covers a flexible packaging for packing disposable hygienic articles that provides the possibility of semi-tightly closing it, once it is opened for the first time, as many times as needed. Each time an article is taken out from the packaging, this may be semi-tightly closed again by means of a tight-seal type closing (zip-lock) or a hooks and loops type closing, such that the product that remains within the packaging is not polluted; in addition, the packaging has an easy-opening system that allows for it to be opened by means of this system without the need of breaking or tearing the same and without affecting the closing system. The packaging may further have a handle for its comfortable transportation.